The invention relates to a metallic flat gasket comprising a gasket layer (2) having at least one combustion chamber through-opening (3) which is surrounded by an elastically deformable sealing element (4) which is configured in the form of an undulatory profiling (40) in the gasket layer (2) in such a way that on each of the surfaces (21, 22) of the gasket layer (2) at least two wave crests (41) and two wave troughs (42) are present. The thickness (hyl) of the gasket layer (2) in the region of the sealing element (4), in the unloaded state, is greater than the original thickness (alpha) of the gasket layer. Apart from the undulatory profiling (40), no further sealing or support elements are present around the combustion chamber through-opening (3). The sealing element has, when subjected to linear compression of from 500 to 2,800 N/mm in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the plane (E) of the gasket layer, a thickness which is greater by from 0.05 to 0.3 mm than the original thickness (d) of the gasket layer which has at least 4 through-openings for fastening means (51) and also at least one further through-opening (5) for lubricant or coolant that is surrounded by an elastomer sealing element (6), the combustion chamber through-opening (3) having a diameter of less than 200 mm.